Restoration of degraded forests is very high on the agenda. If programmes for restoration are to succeed on a large scale we must try to learn from both successes and failures. Many plantation projects in the South run into social problems that attract attention in the domestic and international media. Many argue that the best solution is to engage farmers in production, but this is also a real challenge.

This report is part of the project “Experiences from Vietnam” at the Secretariat for International Forestry Issues (SIFI) at The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KSLA). The purpose of the work is to summarise parts of the experience available regarding the development of farm based forestry in Northern Vietnam and particularly near the pulp and paper mill Bai Bang. The report gives a reader, not familiar with the unique development, an introduction to the history of Bai Bang and its importance for rural development and reforestation of Northern Vietnam. The report will also highlight today’s Vietnam from various factors that may have a future impact on the progress made both near Bai Bang and the rest of Northern Vietnam. Lessons learned from Bai Bang may also be used in other parts of the world.